castleinthemist | 02

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02 - open

Toph knew she found the courtyard through various senses. She could smell the fresh air, hear the birds, and feel the warm sunlight and cool breeze. The hard stone from the castle faded into softer walkway stone as she moved out into the yard. When her feet touched the grass, she smiled to herself. No longer was the resonance of vibration from the earth surging out and back at her with all its strength. Instead, it met resistance and the grass muffled her senses as it tickled her feet, creating a sort of static for her until it gave way under her soles to let foot meet soil and allow the reverberations communicate to her nearly half a second later than solid ground.

It was a strange sensation, but she welcomed it. It calmed her, and she continued to smile while she moved to what she thought was a nice spot.

She breathed calmly and evenly as she took her stance. One move, another, and then a third, and a perfectly shaped chaise rose up from the ground. She felt proud of herself as she moved to it and lay down, body lying comfortably against the contour of the grass-covered reclining seat.

Once decidedly comfortable, Toph pulled a flask from her belt and took a drink from it. Nice, cool water. She'd stolen the idea from another castle inhabitant and had made one out of a chunk of metal ripped from her bed frame. He used his for naughty juice; she used hers for water.

Toph felt a little guilty. Most of the castle was trying to figure out how to get out of there. She, though, wasn't putting so much effort into it. Sure, she wanted to leave, but what could she do? She'd promised a new friend that she wouldn't go far without eyes to help her spot the monsters she couldn't detect. While she wanted to do her part of the exploring and searching for a way home, she didn't want to be useless in a fight against a flying shadow with claws.

There were very few times that Toph would admit her blindness to be a hindrance. A skirmish against the monsters that moved without contact or sound was one of those very few times.

"I'll just wait for a friend," she told no one before closing her eyes and laying her head back against her arm.

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"Eehh?!" Duo yelped at the sudden bark, reeling back a few steps as she advanced on him. He knew he could piss people off pretty quickly without really trying, but that had to be a record!

But then she stopped and spoke her realization out loud, and it finally snapped in to place for him as well.

"... you were waitin' for my double, yeah? Sorry... bad timin' on my part, I guess," he grumbled, looking away at the sudden awkward tension in the air.

"You, uh, you're pretty similar," she offered, though she was quite positive he already knew that.

When she felt at least most of her blush die down, she turned to him sideways, one ear on him and the other on the rest of her surroundings, face downcast but still speaking clearly enough to be heard.

Her arms were folded over her chest and she was leaning most of her weight on one leg.

"You haven't seen him around, have you?"

"... yeah..."

He did, but it still didn't fail to make him a little uneasy for a moment or two. It wasn't that he disliked his double or the idea of it, it was just very odd and a not entirely easy concept to get over quickly.

At her question, he shook his head slowly, frowning a little.

"Not since last night. I usually see him around in the morning but he mighta ducked out before me or something..."

"Crud," she pouted, falling back and slumping in a small throne made of cool, solid rock that rose to meet her half way. She propped one hand on an arm rest and used the other to dig for gold in one nostril.

"If you do happen to run into him, tell him Toph's going to Bend him into the side of the castle."

"... going to--... yehknow what, I'm not even gonna ask..." Duo grumbled, scratching at the back of his head again with a sigh. All of the awkward, Toph. All of it.

Maybe if Toph were a little older, she would have caught what he said. Maybe if she'd grown up in less-than-high-society, out on the streets where girls her age were doing things like THAT just to get enough coins for a meal. However, what he meant went straight over her head and she only turned to face his direction with a cocked eyebrow.

"Are all of the spare Duos this weird, or is it just you?"

Then it was probably a good thing he stopped himself part way.

The 'spare' comment earned an indignant sputter from him, voice actually going up nearly an entire octave.

"'Spare'?! Excuse me, pipsqueak?!"

"'Chicky,' and now 'Pipsqueak?!'"

She slammed her fists into the throne, crumbling it to rubble behind her. She didn't look at him, only pointing at him with as much force as she could. Again, if she wasn't the perfect height for his armrest, she would have probably been kind of scary.

"You need to learn some manners, Loudmouth!"

If he hadn't been angry and irritated, he might have noticed that happened. Or rather, he would have noticed AND taken in to account that their little tiff could get ugly very quickly.

But he didn't, and he just snarled back at the smaller girl.

"Loudmouth? Please! I wasn't the one who started a conversation by yelling out 'hey Space Brain!'! If anyone is the loudmouth here it's YOU! ... shorty!"

The last part, of course, added in just to be a further thorn in her side.

"I sure am glad you're not the REAL Duo and just a cheap forgery! At least HE'S tolerable!"

As she spoke, her stance changed and within seconds, she was standing on a pillar, towering over him, a handful of large rocks floating around her as if held like static to her display of power. One hand remained fisted while the other pointed down at him, a devilish grin on her face.

"Who's the short one now, Loudmouth?"

"Toph!" A shout from the entry way into the courtyard. Followed by heaving pants.

"Huhhuh. Stop it! Leave im' alone, Toph!" He continued to pant and stagger forward. He had just run back from another chamber, all the way here to the common area. He had wanted to stop and catch his breath when he heard the shouting and rock bending from where he'd been. So? Guess what. He had to run again.

He waved her off and leaned his hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. He went back to look at the train tracks that morning, like Duo had said and like a mornon, he went alone. And another portal tried to gank him.

So here he is. Just ran from that far out over to here.

"Holy--..."

Well that had been unexpected. Duo stared up at the girl, mouth agape until he heard his double's voice. The sound snapped him out of his trance, but whatever shock had been there was replaced by worry and a quick dismissal of Toph as he went to the other's side.

"What the hell, did you just run a marathon? What's wrong, man?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice. As strange as it had been for him to meet the other Duo all those weeks ago, he still considered him a friend now and his ill condition was troublesome to say the least.

Duo's voice was enough to rattle her into nearly dropping her hold on the rocks. She let them fall on their own accord before she jumped from the pillar and landed easily. She ran to meet Duo, ignoring the Spare Duo.

"What happened?" she asked, worried. She made a nice little stool for him to rest on and held out her canteen. It wasn't cold water, but it was enough to help cool him down.

Duo took the stool gratefully and looked up at his double with a friendly smile. Hey man. He mouthed it, but he couldn't get it out with his heavy breathing. He took in a deep breath and took down the water in the canteen.

"Went to look at those train tracks, saw another one of those shadow holes open up and I ran for the hills. I don't think they even managed to catch up." Please let that not be the case, he can't handle that again.

"Toph..." He caught his breath and handed her the canteen back. "Sorry I'm late, but what're you doing?"

"You did what?!" Duo practically yelped, flailing where he stood, missing pretty much everything after 'went to look at those train tracks'.

"Are you insane?! What if you got grabbed again?! We don't know what those things DO, man!"

"What am I doing? What are you doing? You tell me not to go out there alone, and yet you're here, breaking your own rules?"

She cocked her head and folded her arms.

"Just as I was complimenting you, too."

Being yelled at by his double was bad enough, but by two people? At once? Damn if his curiosity didn't get the best of him. How to talk his way out of this one? There were no excuses.

"Sorry! Sorry. Okay? It was stupid. Reaaaally stupid." What those shadows did? He didn't know, and he didn't want to. Yeah. Stupid. He looks over to Toph and shakes his head incredulously.

Aaah. Dammit. Now he's a hypocrite too? "You're right. But when I told you that it was under the impression you still can't see those flying ones."

He stood up, rubbing the back of his neck. So he messed up. Doesn't he get to do that once in a while?

Edited 2012-02-10 08:08 (UTC)

Duo scowled at his other, fully agreeing with Toph on this one. But the chastised look on his face made him pull back a little and sigh reluctantly.

"... just be more careful, okay? Hard enough to survive like this."

"You have the eyes, I have the ammunition. That's what we agreed, Space Brains," she was ultimately just worried about him, but she wasn't so sure how to just say it. Or show it. Or just express it without it being confused as something else entirely.

"Just be more careful," she ordered, almost in tandem with the other. She cocked an ear to him before ignoring him again.

She still wasn't too happy with him.

Shorty, her fat, flying fanny.

"I got it. Next time, I'll grab one of you guys or Heero. Deal?" He took in a deep breath and heaved a sigh, looking between them with an almost amused smile.

"What the hell were you two fighting about?" He said, shaking his head and placing his hands on his hips. He ignored the nickname aside from a snorted laugh.

"Deal," Duo nodded with a relieved look, that was gone an instant later when the question came up. He deflated, scratching at his ear and looking away sheepishly.

"I... said some sh-- ... crap... I probably shouldn't have..." he admitted, looking to Toph apologetically even though she couldn't see it. "... truce?"

At least he knew how to play fair and not be a complete ass about everything?

It wasn't nearly that easy for Toph to admit wrong doing on her part. She only turned her head away, arms folded, before shooting him a quick, "Yeah, sure. Whatever."

After all... he DID start it, as far as she was concerned.

"So when are we going?" She asked the older one, fingers tapping against her forearm impatiently.

Duo was glad his double took the higher ground in this case and he nodded approvingly. No more fighting with those two, he'd make sure of it.

"We are going to go hunt for supplies. You can bend metal like you did before, right? So we go find some metal like those iron fences and see if you can make us some supplies and weapons. Sound like a good use of your skill, Toph?" It took a bit to remind himself not to call her kiddo, but he would eventually.

For once he was actually willing to admit that yes, he did start it, but he was just as willing to relent and admit he was in the wrong.

He at least wanted to try to get along with her, for his double's sake.

He let the two of them talk, standing by quietly but listening to the plan. Weapons and supplies. Damn good idea.

"That sounds nice and dandy," She agreed. "Where is the metal, though?"

Unless he meant the beds and bars on the windows. That wasn't a bad idea to her, but some of their castle mates might not appreciate it.

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